Another Additional to National Space Legislation: The Austrian Outer Space Act, Adopted 6 December 2011

Authors

Frans G. von der Dunk, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

IAC-12 (International Astronautical Congress, Naples, Italy, 2012). Paper number IAC-12,E7,5,16,x12809.

Comments

Copyright 2012, the author. Used by permission.

Abstract

On December 6, 2011, the Austrian Parliament unanimously adopted the Bundesgesetz über die Genehmigung von Weltraumaktivitäten und die Einrichtung eines Weltraumregisters (Weltraumgesetz), or Austrian Space Act. Thus, Austria became the sixth EU member state and one of more than a dozen states globally adopting a comprehensive national act focusing on national activities related to or in outer space, and more specifically the prospect of fundamental private participation therein. Following the same analytical approach as with regard to the Swedish, UK, South African, Russian, Australian, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Brazilian, and Dutch national space acts, the present paper will analyze this most recent national space law principally from the perspective of international space law, notably focusing on the domestic implementation via a licensing regime of international responsibilities and liabilities potentially incurred by Austria and the use by the latter of its jurisdictional tools to authorize and supervise them.